TV – NBC’s ‘Hannibal’ Renewed for a Second Season

Fans of the Silence of the Lambs prequel series Hannibal, will be happy to know that NBC has renewed the show for a second season. The second season will have a 13-episode run.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Bryan Fuller drama, from Gaumont International Television and Sony Pictures Television Networks, arrived with glowing reviews to NBC’s minefield Thursday at 10 p.m. slot, opening in April to a 1.6 in the demo and 3.4 million total viewers. The debut marked the slot’s best performance in more than a year after it took over for short-lived rookie Do No Harm.

The Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen starrer heads into its June 27 season finale averaging 3.4 million total viewers. To date, Hannibal is averaging a 2.0 rating in adults 18-49 and 4.7 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.

In announcing the pickup, NBC noted that the series — based on Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon novel — is the youngest drama on ABC, CBS and NBC, with a median age of 45.7. Factoring in DVR growth, the series improves its advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demo by an impressive 75 percent.

With the renewal, Hannibal becomes only the third freshman series at NBC to earn a second-season pickup. It joins Chicago Fire and Revolution in that category.

Hannibal’s second season, NBC notes, will air no earlier than midseason.